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August 02, 2006
Goodbye US Bill of Rights -- Hello Sinclair Lewis
It can't happen here. "Or can it?" wondered writer Sinclair Lewis in 1935.
A Bush administration plan for special military courts would give Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld the power to make ANY crime committed by a US citizen fall under military jurisdiction.
Goodbye Amendments 5 and 6 to the US Constitution, which of course are two of the ten Amendments we call the Bill of Rights.
See the Washington Post article, "White House Proposal Would Expand Authority of Military Courts."
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Amendment 5
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Amendment 6
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
Posted by MJuhre at August 2, 2006 03:45 PM